Miami, FL – On Friday, June 2nd, DIG celebrated its 11th annual Dream in Green Awards Ceremony with over 120 guests in attendance. It was an opportunity to come together and celebrate the achievements of students, teachers, parents, administrators, facilities staff and our collective progress in achieving a healthier and more environmentally sustainable community. Coral Gables Museum, our first program partner of the Dream in Green Academy, graciously hosted the ceremony.
Diego Marques, a star student from Nautilus Middle School, delivered an outstanding keynote speech. While Dane Jaber, Instructional Supervisor of Middle School Science for Miami-Dade County Public Schools, presented our first award of the evening—the Innovation in Education Award—which is awarded to teachers who demonstrate exemplary ‘green’ leadership, passion and creativity in program implementation. Other noted presenters included Cristian Carranza, Administrative Director of STEAM and Maria Teresa Rojas, Miami-Dade School Board member.
Thank you to everyone who attended and showed their support, thank you to our sponsors and congratulations again to all the winners! View our Facebook photo album and share your experience with others.
75 awards were given this year! Here is the complete list:
| Green Schools Challenge | 1st place | Caribbean K-8 Center |
| 2nd place | Miami Sunset Senior High School | |
| 3rd place | Florida City Elementary School | |
| WE-LAB | 1st place | Dante B. Fascell Elementary School |
| 2nd place | Nautilus Middle School | |
| 3rd place | John I. Smith K-8 Center | |
| Green City Challenge | 1st place | Air Base K-8 Center |
| 2nd place | EWF Stirrup Elementary School | |
| 3rd place | Eugenia B. Thomas K-8 Center | |
| Green Machine Finalists | Cypress K-8 Center | |
| Mater Academy Charter School | ||
| Pinecrest Elementary School | ||
| Ruth K. Broad/Bay Harbor K-8 Center | ||
| Rockway Middle School | ||
| Palmetto Elementary School | ||
| Arvida Middle School | ||
| Key Biscayne Presbyterian School | ||
| Coral Reef High School | ||
| Robert Morgan Educational Center | ||
| Green Rising Star Finalists | Tropical Elementary School | |
| Palmetto Middle School | ||
| Marjory Stoneman Douglas Elementary School | ||
| Palm Springs North Elementary School | ||
| West Miami Middle School | ||
| Miami Beach Senior High School | ||
| Rockway Elementary School | ||
| Aventura Waterways K-8 Center | ||
| Cutler Ridge Elementary School | ||
| Dr. Carlos J. Finlay Elementary School | ||
| Green Initiative of the Month (monthly challenge) | Energy Efficiency & Conservation | Caribbean K-8 Center |
| Henry S. West Laboratory School | ||
| South Miami Senior High School | ||
| Waste Reduction & Recycling | Key Biscayne Presbyterian School | |
| Aventura Waterways K-8 Center | ||
| Medical Academy for Science and Technology | ||
| Water Conservation | Palmer Trinity School | |
| St. Patrick Catholic School | ||
| Tropical Elementary School | ||
| Alternative Transportation | Nautilus Middle School | |
| Cypress K-8 Center | ||
| Pinecrest Elementary School | ||
| Green Living (Buildings & Careers) | Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart | |
| HIVE Preparatory School | ||
| Colonial Drive Elementary School | ||
| Food Efficiency | AcadeMir Preparatory Academy | |
| Aventura City of Excellence School | ||
| North Beach Elementary School | ||
| Green Game Changer – Students | Alexandra Poit – Miami Sunset Senior High School | |
| Emelly Escoban – Florida City Elementary School | ||
| Lana Mesa – Mater Academy Charter School | ||
| Valerie Rivas – Tropical Elementary School | ||
| Diego Marques – Nautilus Middle School | ||
| Savannah Mercado – John I. Smith K-8 | ||
| Luciana Medina – EWF Stirrup Elementary School | ||
| Sebastian Reglado – Aragon – Air Base K-8 Center | ||
| Green Key Award – Facilities Staff | Hannah Colombey – Media Specialist – Florida City Elementary | |
| Sylvia Aleman – Cafeteria Manager- Tropical Elementary School | ||
| Innovation in Education – Teachers | Asia Fernandez – Caribbean K-8 Center | |
| Maribel Matta-Garcia – Florida City Elementary School | ||
| Nuris I. Binett – John I. Smith K-8 Center | ||
| Navia Gomez – Dante B. Fascell Elementary School | ||
| Gail Jenkins – E.W.F. Stirrup Elementary School | ||
| Inspiring Administrator Award | Laura Carrasco-Perez – Assistant Principal – Caribbean K-8 Center | |
| Maria J. Arbiol – Assistant Principal – Florida City Elementary School | ||
| Llennery Pena – Assistant Principal – Palm Springs North Elementary | ||
| Viviana Bouza-Debs – Principal – Tropical Elementary School | ||
| Hilda Espinosa – Assistant Principal – John I. Smith K-8 Center | ||
| Mr. Raul Calzadilla – Principal – Air Base K-8 Center | ||
| Eco-Summit Award | Ruth K. Broad/Bay Harbor K-8 Center | |
| Coral Reef High School | ||
| Robert Morgan Education Center | ||
| Arvida Middle School | ||
| E.W.F. Stirrup Elementary School | ||
| Building Student Leaders through Fundraising Initiative |
1st Place | Pinecrest Elementary School |
| Runner up | Tropical Elementary School | |
The Green Schools Challenge began in 2006 and has expanded from a three school pilot program to include over 100 K-12 schools in Miami-Dade and Broward counties this year. To date, our programs have served 312 unique schools and over 88,866 individuals. Additionally, our partner schools have worked with us to conserve 26.1 million kilowatt hours of electricity, which in turn has saved the school system $2.5 million dollars and reduced or offset 39.9 million pounds of carbon emissions from entering the atmosphere.
